Isaksson eager for Magpies test

ANDREAS Isaksson believes that City will return from the international break refreshed and ready to grab another win in the North East. The Swedish keeper has joined up with his national squad to prepare for Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Northern Ireland in Belfast.

ANDREAS Isaksson believes that City will return from the international break refreshed and ready to grab another win in the North East.

The Swedish keeper has joined up with his national squad to prepare for Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Northern Ireland in Belfast.

And he left for international duty on the back of his first win and clean sheet as a Blues first-teamer when they won 2-0 at Middlesbrough.

It was just the lift City needed as they went into a two-week break from the Premiership.

And they will try to build on that when they travel to Newcastle this Saturday, seeking only their second league victory at St James Park since clinching the old First Division title there in May 1968.

City may not have a great record at Newcastle, but then they had not won at Middlesbrough for nearly 30 years either, so Isaksson is not concerned about statistics.

Instead, he is just enjoying the renewed confidence running through the dressing room after the Blues ended a run of five successive Premiership defeats by winning at the Riverside.

"Now that we're having two weeks with no Premiership football, maybe we can rest a little bit and come back even stronger," the keeper said.

"It was a very important win for us at Middlesbrough, and I hope we can get a good result at Newcastle, even if it is a tough away game.

"We are more confident now that we have won a game. There's less pressure now, although we still need a few more points. Now we are focusing on Newcastle and we will try to win that game. Then we will focus on the next game. So the focus has to be on the next game, and not two or three matches ahead."

Isaksson is just glad to be a part of the Premiership action, having had to wait seven months for his first league start following his £2m move from French club Rennes in August.

Terrific

Two serious injuries kept him out at the start of the season, and then the outstanding form of Nick Weaver ensured that he could not get back in.

Even a terrific performance as a second-half substitute for Weaver in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford two weeks before Christmas - which included a world-class point-blank save from Wayne Rooney - could not get Isaksson a full game in the first team.

Reserve-team action was no consolation for the keeper, as he faced a fight to win back his place in the Sweden side from former Arsenal keeper Rami Shaaban, who now plays in Norway for Fredrikstad.

Isaksson and Shaaban were given a half each in Sweden's friendly against Egypt in Cairo last month, and both have been named in the squad for Wednesday night's game in Northern Ireland, with the Blues keeper the favourite to start.

The threat to his international place has made Isaksson's spell on the sidelines doubly difficult to deal with.

"It has been a frustrating time, being on the bench," Isaksson said. "But it was very nice to play those two games.

"Even though we didn't win, the performance against Chelsea gave us more confidence, and we showed that against Middlesbrough.

"I heard that City hadn't won there for 30 years, so it was a very important away win."

Just as satisfying as the win for Isaksson, though, was the clean sheet, his first since Sweden's 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the World Cup last June.

"It's nice as a goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet, and that's important for the team as well," he added.

CITY legends Mike Summerbee and Peter Barnes will be guests at tonight's meeting of the Centenary Supporters Association's Reddish Branch the Ash Hotel, Manchester Road, Stockport (doors open 7pm).